Patterning and growth of carbon nanotubes on a highly structured 3D substrate surface

Abstract

This study demonstrates the patterning and growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a highly structured three-dimensional (3D) substrate surface and even underneath the suspended microstructure surface. Three key processes—plasma surface treatment, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) coating and contact displacement electroless (CDE) plating—are employed and integrated to implement the present concept. In application, the CNTs have been conformally grown and patterned on the highly structured 3D substrate surface containing 100 µm deep anisotropic etched cavities with 54.7° as well as 90° sidewalls. The integration of these 3D patterns of CNTs with suspended MEMS cantilevers has also been demonstrated. Moreover, the 'positive' and 'negative' pattern transformations of CNTs on the highly structured substrate surface and even underneath the suspended MEMS structure surface are successfully achieved. In addition, the 3D patterns of CNTs have also been successfully transferred onto flexible PDMS substrates.